The Truth in the Stars: Silverpelt's Death (Book 1)
by Psychation
Summary: Something is wrong in Silverpelt. The Dark Forest is striking out at all the Clans, making them turn in suspicion to each other, stirring up a war. Leaders journey to the Moonpool but find it closed, the cave sealed off by a rockfall. The cats wonder if StarClan has abandoned them as chaos begins.
1. Clan Characters

**ALLEGIANCES**

**ThunderClan**

**LEADER**

YELLOWSTAR - tawny tomcat with brown eyes

**DEPUTY**

GRASSJADE - dusky brown she-cat with green eyes

**MEDICINE CAT**

CROWFIRE - black tom with orange eyes

APPRENTICE, BERRYPAW

**WARRIORS**

PEARLCLAW - pure white she-cat

POPPYLEAF - tabby she-cat

APPRENTICE, PEBBLEPAW

VOLEPELT - brown tom with white paws and chest

REGALBLAZE - long-furred black tom

APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW

THORNHEART - tabby tom

DAWNFLOWER - pale gray she-cat

FAWNBREEZE - light brown tom with lighter flecks

**APPRENTICES**

BERRYPAW - gray tom with white paws and face

PEBBLEPAW - gray-and-white she-cat

WHITEPAW - white tom

**ELDERS**

JAGGEDSTONE - black-and-white tomcat

TANGLESHADOW - brown, white, and black she-cat

GOLDENLEAF - light brown tabby she-cat with white patches

**RiverClan**

**LEADER**

WHISPERSTAR - white tom with blue eyes

**DEPUTY**

GORGEPELT - dusky brown tom with white paws

**MEDICINE CAT**

FEATHERPELT - silver she-cat with amber eyes

**WARRIORS**

HARELEAP - gray tom with blue eyes

STONESTREAM - gray she-cat

ICEFANG - light gray tom

APPRENTICE, SPLASHPAW

JUNIPERPELT - reddish brown she-cat

APPRENTICE, HEAVYPAW

WAVEHEART - gray tom

WILLOWLEAF - pale brown she-cat

**APPRENTICES**

SPLASHPAW - tortoiseshell she-cat

HEAVYPAW - dark brown tom

**QUEENS**

SUNSPOT - yellow she-cat with white patch on forehead

**WindClan**

**LEADER**

CLAWSTAR - gray she-cat with amber eyes

**DEPUTY**

HAZELBUSH - amber tom

**MEDICINE CAT**

GROWLPOOL - gray tom with blue eyes

**WARRIORS**

SHROUDFANG - gray tom

FURYCLAW - tabby tom

RIPCLAW - black-and-white tom

LARGETOOTH - white tom

POLAREYE - white she-cat

SILVERWHISKER - pale gray she-cat

**QUEENS**

YELLOWBARK - black she-cat

kits, leafkit (tom) and leapkit (she-cat)

**ELDERS**

FOGPELT - white and gray tom

**ShadowClan**

**LEADER**

BRACKENSTAR - tabby tom with amber eyes

**DEPUTY**

BLISSFUR - black she-cat with white patches

**MEDICINE CAT**

MOONFLOWER - gray she-cat with emerald eyes

APPRENTICE, TEARPAW

**WARRIORS**

WHITECLAW - white she-cat with blue eyes

POISONRAVEN - gray tabby tom with emerald eyes

ROBINFLIGHT - long-furred tabby she-cat

APPRENTICE, CLAPPERPAW

TREEPELT - dark brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, FIREPAW

BRAMBLETHORN - black tom

**APPRENTICES**

FIREPAW - orange and brown striped tom

CLAPPERPAW - gray tom

TEARPAW - black she-cat

**QUEENS**

JUNIPERLEAF - black and white she-cat

kits, lillykit, pondkit, and poppykit

HOLLYFROST - black she-cat with white paws

kits, eaglekit, cloudkit, violetkit, leafkit, rainkit

**ELDERS**

BLOODSAGE - black tom with amber eyes

POPPYDAWN - brown she-cat

WHITEFUR - white she-cat


	2. Prologue

Prologue

Fawnbreeze carried a finch in his jaws. Only a half-moon ago, he had been made warrior, yet he already felt he was a working member of the clan, perhaps even a valued warrior. It was the first time in a while he had felt as if he belonged. That night was to be the Gathering, the first Gathering he would attend as a warrior. His name would be cheered by his fellow ThunderClan warriors, along with the three other Clans' voices.

These thoughts clouded his senses. He did not hear the wind grow still, the whole woods grow silent in fear. Nor did he smell the faint scent of death and disease, dark and heavy in the night.

But he did see the shadow flit about in the corner of his eyesight. He halted, dropping the prey he carried. "Who's there?" he called out. _Perhaps I should have stayed in camp,_ he thought. He had gone out for a quick hunt, okayed by Grassjade. Soon the patrol for the Gathering would be leaving; he was on his way back to camp to join them.

The branches of the trees creaked ominously, the only sound in the night besides a distant owl calling. Again, the shadow dashed about him, gone before he could spot it for certain. The full moon shone high overhead. He did not notice the dark cloud covering it until no light came from the moon anymore.

There was a moment of silence as Fawnbreeze strained his ears, his eyes unable to see anything in the darkness. "Hello?" his voice came out again, this time much quieter, more scared.

Another moment passed. Fawnbreeze turned in a circle, his fur on end, swallowing a lump in his throat as he fought back fear.

The shadow, invisible in the dark, suddenly sliced forward. Fawnbreeze's jaws fell open in a silent cry, yet none heard a sound as his body slowly sank to the ground.


	3. Chapter One

Chapter One

The leaders spoke amongst themselves. The Gathering would begin soon, only ThunderClan was missing. They were worrying; that is, most of them were.

"I don't see why we should wait any longer," Brackenstar said crossly. "ShadowClan has no time to wait. I say we begin, or else I am leaving." His tabby tail lashed in irritation.

"Something is amiss," Whisperstar said. "Didn't you see the cloud block the moon when we first arrived? I fear the worst for ThunderClan. Something is not right, I tell you!"

"Oh, don't be daft!" Brackenstar snapped. "Have some respect for yourself, Whisperstar! You may be growing old, but I have no patience for your babblings."

"I feel it as well," Clawstar said grimly. "As if… StarClan were not present." She flicked her ears anxiously.

"For StarClan's sake!" Brackenstar hissed. "You're behaving like frightened kits after their mothers have told them a scary story. ShadowClan is leaving, I have no time for those mouse-brained-"

"We are here." A firm tone came from behind them as Yellowstar leaped up onto the tree branch. ThunderClan warriors filed into the crowd, settling yet looking uneasy.

"About time! What has taken you so long?" Brackenstar growled. Yellowstar did not answer, sitting and facing the Clans gathered below.

"The Gathering has now begun." His voice was deeper and more grim than usual. His eyes were cold, distant. "My report would have begun by celebrating a new warrior. Fawnbreeze should be with us today, but he has gone missing. Upon searching, we found his body in a clearing." Yellowstar's eyes glared over at the cats below. "All cats were accounted for leading up to when we left for the Gathering - except for Fawnbreeze."

"What are you trying to say, Yellowstar?" Clawstar asked quietly.

"I am saying, no one in _my_ Clan killed him." Yellowstar's voice was cold and steady. Normally, he was very reasonable. But something about Fawnbreeze's death had set him off. "Someone in RiverClan, WindClan, or ShadowClan brutally murdered Fawnbreeze. And I intend to find out who that cat was!"

Angry words rose out. "How dare you accuse us?" "That's against the warrior code!" "That's just like ThunderClan, always pointing the finger at others!"

ThunderClan cats bristled as insults were thrown at them. Turmoil broke out as claws were unsheathed, cats spitting and hissing at each other in fury.

"Silence!" To everyone's surprise, the soft-spoken RiverClan leader, Whisperstar had yowled the words. The tom's blue eyes blazed in anger. "Silence, all of you!" Slowly, the Clans calmed down, but sharp glares were exchanged, and fur was not smoothed. "I cannot believe you, Yellowstar," Whisperstar began. "I am sorry for the loss of your warrior, truly, I am. But I never thought you, of all cats, would come to a Gathering and make such a claim."

Yellowstar lowered his eyes under Whisperstar's gaze. He knew he was right, yet he still suspected ShadowClan of killing the young warrior.

"Forgive me," Yellowstar said quietly. "Perhaps it would be better if I left this Gathering for my deputy to handle. I am obviously not fit at the moment for this meeting." He jumped down from the tree branch and joined the other ThunderClan warriors. The crowd of cats had parted from easy going mingling to hostile, stiff groups of each Clan.

Grassjade hopped up onto the branch beside Clawstar. "Forgive the interruption, Clans," she said, always the diplomat as she dipped her head first to the crowd, then to each leader. "We are … shocked by Fawnbreeze's death, to say the least. Please continue to make your reports. ThunderClan has nothing more to say."

Brackenstar nodded crisply. "I should say not." He obviously had not accepted the apology; neither, for that matter, had any of the Clans, despite the deputy's honeyed words.

As Brackenstar began to make his report for ShadowClan, no one noticed the dark clouds drifting over the moon in faint wisps, coming and going in a matter of seconds.

A shadow darted about the clearing once, unseen. Then it disappeared.

**Auther's Note: **So, this has been a bit dark so far. :p sorry about that. But this is a series about the Dark Forest "taking over", so we can't go without a bit of mystery and horror can we? Also, we'll be going into a POV of one of the warriors soon. I'll be choosing a warrior from each Clan to use as a POV, for each chapter. That'll be announced next chapter, when I have figured it out. Leave a review!


	4. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Gorgepelt finished off the sparrow he was having for breakfast, licking his whiskers as he briskly buried the bones. It was early dawn. He could see the patrol of three cats (Willowleaf, Icefang, and Splashpaw) leave for the early border patrol. He had the dawn patrol the night before; those three cats hadn't been at the Gathering, so they wouldn't be as tired as others.

_Nor would they be scratched up, like some cats who returned from the Gathering,_ he thought grimly. Though Whisperstar managed to stop before any series brawls broke out, more than one RiverClan cat returned with bruises. Most prominently, Hareleap.

The deputy's brow drew together as his thoughts fell on the gray tom. Hareleap had come close to being deputy, but Whisperstar chose Gorgepelt. Hareleap had always been jealous of Gorgepelt, ever since they were denmates. Gorgepelt honored Hareleap as a formidable warrior, but to himself, he found him irresponsible. As a deputy, he would be incompetent.

He curled his lip, his tongue still tasting of the sparrow. Fish was the preferred prey of RiverClan, but all fish was buried or eaten by a maximum of two days, or else the camp would begin to stink of rotting flesh. Unfortunately, unlike other prey, fish did not keep as well as land prey. No patrol had been sent out yet to fish some trout or pike from the rivers.

"Something worrying you?" Gorgepelt looked over his shoulder. Featherpelt was coming out of the medicine den, some leaves in her jaws. Her silky long fur glimmered in the early sun, her plumage of a tail curled behind her. She walked over to him, setting down the bundle of herbs. "For Sunspot," she explained. Gorgepelt nodded; Sunspot had a touch of a cold, she said, and was terrified it would hurt her soon-to-be-born kits. He believed it was simply allergies from the new-leaf wind, but extra herbs would not harm the queen.

"Nothing really," Gorgepelt said evasively, shrugging. Featherpelt sat behind him, her tail brushing against his back. His skin prickled where she had brushed it, but he pushed that aside. _Never you mind, Gorgepelt, _ he said to himself.

"You're thinking about the Gathering, aren't you?" Featherpelt said. At Gorgepelt's surprised glance, she said, "I can see it in your eyes. Besides, what else is there to worry about on this beautiful new-leaf day?"

Featherpelt was right: the morning _was_ beautiful. The sun was just peeking over the clouds, and the birds were beginning to sing. A slightly chilly wind rolled about camp softly, rustling the boundary and causing ripples to form in the small puddles and creek around camp. Aways off, Gorgepelt could imagine the sun rising over the lake, reflecting its light off of its surface. None of this, however, gave Gorgepelt any reason to relax.

"Yellowstar made a serious accusation last night," Gorgepelt said seriously. The medicine cat rested her tail over the deputy's as he spoke the matters on his mind. "He may have apologized for it, but ThunderClan and ShadowClan have always warred with each other. Sooner or later, one will accuse the other, and then we will all be forced to take sides."

"Or stay neutral," Featherpelt argued. "There is no reason for all the Clans to join a conflict."

"Were this conflict about stolen prey, I would agree with you." Gorgepelt shook his head. "But a warrior has been _murdered,_ Featherpelt." He gazed out into the camp for a few more moments. "What I most worry about is," he whispered, "if no one in the Clans killed Fawnbreeze… who did?"

After speaking with the medicine cat, Gorgepelt went to rouse the warriors. The dawn patrol would be returning quite soon, and they would like something to eat after their patrolling.

To his surprise, Hareleap pushed past him as he left the den, groomed and looking as if he had been awake for hours. The deputy scrutinized him a moment, wondering if he had seen him with Featherpelt, but tossed the thought aside as other warriors roused.

As the warriors gathered around him, Hareleap at the head of them, Gorgepelt began to hand out duties. "Juniperleaf, Waveheart, Heavypaw, you'll go out on a hunting patrol as soon as possible. Then, when the hunting patrol returns, I will go with Stonestream for a quick border patrol - we should return at sun-high, when I will decide more duties."

"Heavypaw and I may take a detour at the end of the hunting patrol after dropping off our prey to train," Juniperleaf said. Gorgepelt nodded, indicating it was fine.

"What of me, Gorgepelt?" Hareleap's tone was cold, with a thin layer of mockery in it, hardly detectable. "I should join Stonestream on that border patrol."

Stonestream rolled her eyes. She detested Hareleap, despite his best efforts to woo her.

"You will stay here, Hareleap," Gorgepelt said firmly. "Think of it as punishment for getting involved in the Gathering skirmish last night. You may spend most of today in Featherpelt's den, where she can tend to your scratches. You'll be back on patrols by tomorrow."

"In Featherpelt's den?" Hareleap smirked. "Wouldn't that make you a bit jealous of me, Gorgepelt?"

Gorgepelt glared at him. So he had seen them together. No matter. "Let me make amends: you'll have your scratches tended, then you may do whatever duties are needed around camp. You shall return to patrols three sunrises from now and have a quarter moon of dawn patrols. Is that easier for you to understand?"

"Quite." Hareleap still smirked, but his clever mind knew better than to get in more trouble than he already was in.

"I expect Whisperstar would like to speak with you as well. Alright, move your paws, prey won't catch itself." Juniperleaf, Heavypaw, and Waveheart trotted out of camp quickly, disappearing into the ferns and other undergrowth.

As the other cats dispersed, Hareleap passed Gorgepelt, pressing his muzzle close to his ear and hissing, "Just wait until you aren't deputy anymore, Gorgepelt. Then I'll show you who is the better warrior."

Gorgepelt turned, giving him a blank stare. "Not deputy anymore? Oh, you mean when I am your leader?" With that, he turned and walked off.


	5. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Blissfur snorted as several kits ran over her paws. She was carrying two lizards to the kill pile. One of the kits, a small white one, turned and called over his shoulder, "Sorry!" Then continued to run along with his littermates.

"Sorry about that," Hollyfrost said, walking over to Blissfur as she dropped the prey. "Kits are hard to keep a paw on, especially when you have so many."

"How are the kits?" Blissfur asked. "They seem lively enough."

"They are," Hollyfrost said with a chuckle, twitching her whiskers. "So are Embercloud's. They'll all turn out to be fine warriors. Brackenstar is happy that I have brought him so many kits, and three toms at that. I believe his favorites are Rainkit and Eaglekit."

"Where _is_ Rainkit?" Blissfur questioned, seeing all of the kits gathered but two.

"Brooding with Bloodsage, as always. And Darkkit is with Moonflower and Tearpaw, watching them work. I worry about her. Brackenstar would be terribly angry if any of his kits became medicine cats. You know how little he thinks of that rank."

Blissfur nodded. The only reason Brackenstar allowed medicine cats in ShadowClan was because of the warrior code. And sometimes (_sometimes!_) he found their skills useful. But he would never allow a cat of his blood to become such a "low" rank.

"It was nice speaking with you, Hollyfrost," Blissfur said, standing and dipping her head. "But I must continue with my duties; the sun has yet to stop rising, so I must assume the day will go on." Hollyfrost dipped her head in farewell, padding after her kits, who were scuffling in the dark earth.

The deputy was about the get something to eat when Brackenstar poked his head out of the rock cave that was his den. Lichen grew all over the entrance to his den, making it seem almost invisible.

"Blissfur, come here," he ordered. "We have things to discuss." He turned sharply on his paw, tail lashing out behind him as he walked back into his den. Holding back a sigh, Blissfur followed him into his den. _I think I know what this is about,_ she thought to herself tiredly. She knew it, and did not want to discuss it.

Brackenstar sat in his nest. His brow was furrowed, eyes narrowed, ears pinned and his head tipped downward, obviously in deep thought - and very angry. "You were at the Gathering last night," he said sharply. "You know what was said. Tell me what you think, Blissfur."

The deputy answered honestly. "At first, I was offended and angry that Yellowstar thought first of ShadowClan, just because of past events that have happened between our Clan and his. But then, I thought of what he must have been going through. Fawnbreeze was his son, you know," she added quietly. "What if Eaglekit grew to a great warrior, just had his ceremony, then was found murdered?"

Brackenstar's sharp, angry eyes snapped upwards. "What is the matter with you?" he hissed. "Have you no honor? Yellowstar has accused our Clan of breaking the warrior code, and I intend to right that wrong!" He began to pace, paws stabbing the ground as if he were stamping out ThunderClan. "I have already thought up a battle plan. You will tell me what cats will best fit each segment of the plan."

Dread filled Blissfur's limbs. Brackenstar was speaking of war. "If we fight them, they will think that we are doing it out of guilt!" she said, cutting him off. "This will only make them angrier, Brackenstar. Let us wait a quarter moon, until they have finished mourning, then journey to their camp peacefully to speak terms with them."

"Wait? Peacefully?" Brackenstar spoke the words scornfully, spitting them out as if they tasted sour on his tongue. "If you cannot uphold your duty to this Clan, Blissfur, then I can demote you in a moment. Are we clear?"

Blissfur bowed her head. Though she was entitled her thoughts, she had no rights to defy her leader. _A Clan leader's word is law._ "Yes, Brackenstar. I only think perhaps we should wait a few more sunrises. Perhaps ThunderClan can explain themselves for their behavior by then."

ShadowClan's leader scrutinized his deputy for a moment, then nodded once, reluctantly. "Very well, I will wait three sunrises - I will only do this so we have time to complete our battle plan. You are dismissed."

As Blissfur left the den, many thoughts battled her mind. She wished to say that ShadowClan was not guilty of this deed, but who was to say such a thing? Quite a few warriors had been out before the Gathering - ShadowClan did hunt at night, didn't they? There would be no way to find out who it was.

A nagging voice came to her. _Whatever ThunderClan cat found the body should have checked for a scent. Was there none, or was it disguised? If it was disguised, then whoever the killer was, they are planning these attacks carefully. And if there was no scent… _

What creature could leave no scent?

**Author's Note: **Well. xD Sorry for any mistakes, I try to proofread it best I can, but sometimes things are messed up that I don't notice. (Series instead of serious. Not a spelling mistake, or grammar mistake necessarily, but something I may not notice.) This was a short chapter, but I don't want to reveal too much about ThunderClan / ShadowClan's doings, as they are the main protagonists and antagonists. So the cats chosen are all four deputies: Grassjade, Gorgepelt, Blissfur, and Hazelbush. AND, I may throw in a Dark Forest cat's POV now and then. Just because they're fascinating. Okay, that's about it. Bai, leave a review!


	6. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Yellowbark purred as Hazelbush padded into the nursery, which was little more than a dip with a thatch of thorns for shelter. WindClan's camp was on the flat grassy moor, and was nowhere near as sheltered as ThunderClan's forests. But WindClan were twice as fast as any Clan, and that made up for whatever undergrowth they may have lacked.

Leafkit and Leapkit bounced around their father excitedly. "Did you bring us some feathers?" they mewed. Leapkit climbed up her father's back, digging her tiny claws into Hazelbush's scruff to hold on.

Hazelbush chuckled. "No feathers, kits, but I brought a ball of moss for you to play with." He dropped the moss from his mouth, batting it gently with a paw. The kits squeaked in delight, Leafkit racing after it. Leapkit, not to be outdone, scrambled onto her father's head and leaped off of it, chasing after her brother.

The amber tom purred, walking over to his mate and rubbing his muzzle against hers. The black she-cat's yellow eyes searched his. "Tell me you haven't been worrying all night, Hazelbush."

He shrugged. When he had come back from the Gathering the night before, the first place he had gone to was the nursery, despite the late hour. In lowered tones he had related all that had happened to her.

"You are too tense," Yellowbark said. "I'm going to tell Growlpool to give you some poppy seeds to help you sleep tonight."

"I'm fine," Hazelbush assured her. "WindClan won't be bothered by this, I'm sure. But who is this killer? Despite what ThunderClan thinks, I doubt ShadowClan did this."

"Don't worry yourself with this," Yellowbark said sharply. "We have duties in this Clan, _our_ Clan. This is no time to be worrying about what ThunderClan has done!"

Hazelbush nodded. She was right. He couldn't be distracted by this. It was none of his business. "I'm leading a border patrol. I'll share some prey with you later." He touched his nose to her ear, then turned and headed out of the nursery to the edge of the camp, where Largetooth and Polareye were waiting for him on the rise.

"What borders are we checking?" Polareye asked as Hazelbush joined them, leading them down the steep hill leading to camp.

Normally, they would be checking RiverClan's border first, then ThunderClan's. But Hazelbush changed his mind at the last moment. "ThunderClan," he said.

The ThunderClan border seemed fine-that was, at first it did. A reek suddenly hit Hazelbush's nose. "What is that smell?" Largetooth asked, disgusted as he pawed at his nose. "It smells of rotting carrion, and fox."

Hazelbush's eyes widened as he saw a flash of orange fur. "That's exactly what it is," he said. He saw more flashes of fur. A mother, with three young pups. _Bad luck._ Just a few more weeks, and the mother would have turned the foxes out. They were nearly as big as her, and just as nasty.

"What do we do?" Polareye asked. Her fur was raised on edge. Some of ThunderClan's foliage spilled over on the borders, providing small camouflage for the WindClan cats now as they crouched low, observing the foxes.

"Let's move our paws back to camp!" Largetooth hissed. "They look to be going deeper in ThunderClan territory, not on the moor."

Hazelbush narrowed his eyes. The foxes must have come into the lake territory recently if a ThunderClan patrol hadn't even smelled them. But if that were the case, then why could he smell the carrion Largetooth mentioned? Obviously their prey must be rotting in a den nearby. _So perhaps they are hungry for something other than small prey. _They would let the birds and rats they caught rot. They were looking for a bigger fight. A badger, perhaps a cat.

Hazelbush had only fought a fox once before, and that had been five warriors against one, back when he was an apprentice.

"We have to take care of them. ThunderClan obviously isn't going to send another patrol out around here for another hour. It'll be too late by the time they realize the foxes are in their territory. They'll get in the camp."

Polareye curled her lip, obviously not liking the idea. "Why should we?" Obviously, she, like many other warriors in the Clans at the moment, was still offended by the Gathering's events.

"This is not a time for squabbling!" Hazelbush snapped. "We must put aside what has happened. Let's distract the foxes so they come this way."

The other two cats grudgingly nodded. "Where will we take them after that?" Largetooth asked.

"Polareye, you run back to camp now to get help. Largetooth, we'll run them in circles, into trees, to Horseplace if we have to, but we must keep them away from the camp!"

Polareye dashed off, a blur of white as she blazed over the grass towards camp. Largetooth grumbled something about risking the camp's safety for ThunderClan angrily.

"You think I like it?" Hazelbush growled. "I have two kits at camp, Largetooth. I'll have the most to lose if these foxes get past us. Now shut up and start yowling." With that he let out a screech, rearing up on his hind legs and showing his fangs. After a moment, Largetooth joined him in an ear-splitting yowl.

The foxes whipped around, their hungry eyes settling on the two cats. One of them licked their lips. They took two slow steps forward, as one, then took a leap forward, their jaws snapping on air where Largetooth had been a moment ago.

As the cats ran off, the foxes gave chase, over the ThunderClan border and into WindClan territory. Hazelbush veered off to the left, Largetooth to the right, hoping to separate the group. To their shock, however, the foxes ran on forward, ignoring them completely. It took a moment for Hazelbush to understand what had happened.

Polareye. She was caught in a lone thorn bush, struggling to free herself. How had she gotten caught? The foxes were nearly upon her.

With a yowl, Largetooth leaped towards the fox closest to Polareye, hissing and spitting. The fox was only deterred for a moment. It swung its great jaws, meaning to grasp him by the neck. Largetooth darted aside at the last moment, but wasn't fast enough. The fox latched onto his ear, tearing it. Largetooth gave a shriek, but he kicked out with his hind legs, clawing the fox above its eyes.

The other four foxes circled around Polareye, snapping forward but jerking back as the thorns scratched their pelts. But the thorns frustrated them, making them more angry, more determined to kill these cats who were causing them so much trouble.

Hazelbush was several tail lengths away when he gave a great leap, his claws latching onto the waist of the nearest fox. It swung about in surprise, nearly throwing him off. He managed to get his hind claws worked into the coarse red fur, then leaned over and bit hard into the fox's shoulder, causing it to howl in pain and fury.

A fox came from behind Hazelbush, its teeth snapping down on his tail. The deputy was forced to let go of the fox he was holding on to, spinning and clawing (in mid-air!) over his attacker's eyes. Blind and in pain, the fox let go of him, tossing his head from side to side in rage.

Hazelbush turned his attention to Largetooth, who was desperately dodging the attacks of two foxes. Two others were still attempting to lure Polareye out of the thorns.

With a shriek of pain, Polareye tore her paw free, scratching it deeply on the thorns. She retreated deeper into the bush, despite the fact it dug into her pelt. She was safest there, out of reach of the foxes and still distracting them.

Hazelbush turned, crouching low then jumping up to the fox he had blinded a moment before, biting hard on one ear and clawing down its muzzle. He landed clumsily, backing away as the fox, deciding this was too much trouble to go to, turned and ran off.

"Help!" Hazelbush turned at Largetooth's yowl. He had been on top of a fox until it had rolled, pinning him under it. Two of the foxes were ready to finish him off.

Hazelbush dashed up, sliding out on his stomach at the last moment. He slid under one of the foxes and kicked upwards with his hind legs, sending the fox skidding a tail-length away. He jumped back up, running head-on at the fox he had kicked. He leaped up, twisted in midair, and dragged both front claws down the fox's body, from his head to his tail. He landed on his side, rolling a few fox-lengths and coming to a stop. Painfully, he stood, not realizing he was wounded until he saw the blood-stained grass where he had been laying a moment before. He had a deep wound in his flank, making it impossible for him to walk. On the bright side, the fox he had attacked now had followed his now blind companion in running for his life.

Suddenly, cats appeared on the rise near them. Hazelbush recognized Clawstar, Shroudfang, and Silverwhisker. With a yowl, they charged down the hillside. Silverwhisker and Shroudfang beat off the foxes trying to attack Polareye, while Clawstar and Largetooth drove off the last one.

Clawstar hurried over to Hazelbush. "Can you walk?" She asked, concerned. "Largetooth is as beat up as you are. At least one warrior had the sense to hide in a thorn bush!" Though her words were harsh, the deputy knew his leader was only angry because she valued her warriors.

He shook his head. "I can't walk," he answered. "I got nicked in the flank when I wasn't paying attention."

Clawstar surveyed the wound. " 'Nicked' is an understatement," she muttered. "Lean against me. We'd best get you all to Growlpool." Silverwhisker helped Largetooth along as Shroudfang let Polareye lean on him; her paw had been cut quite deeply by the thorns bound around it, causing her to have a heavy limp.

As Clawstar helped him along, Hazelbush asked Polareye, "What happened? Did you trip and fall into the bush?" He made sure to fill his tone with concern, not disapproval. The she-cat did her best, and that was all he could have asked for in such a young warrior.

Polareye looked confused as she answered. "I… I'm not sure. I was just running, a tail-length at least from the thorns. It's like… like they reached out and _grabbed_ me."

**Author's Note:** Woooo! Chapter Four! xD So, tell me what y'all think so far. I really enjoy battle scenes as some of you might've noticed. This chapter may be a bit confusing; it's easier when Clan cats are fighting because they have names, not just "the fox". :3 Bubye!


	7. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

"Yellowstar, stop." Grassjade stepped in front of the tawny cat, blocking his way with her body. "You've done the dawn patrol, a hunting patrol, and at least two border patrols at the ShadowClan border. Enough is enough." She gazed steadily at her leader. "You can't keep acting like this. All day, the Clan has asked me, 'what's wrong with Yellowstar?' What am I supposed to tell them? They're worried about you, and frankly, so am I."

"Just get out with it already," Yellowstar said crossly. "What is it you want to say?"

"I don't think you are fit to lead us right now." Grassjade held her tone steady. Yellowstar snorted indignantly, trying to go around her, but she blocked him again. "Crowfire has agreed. Your accusations have led us to the verge of war!"

"What am I supposed to do?" Yellowstar snarled. "Forget all about it?" His eyes were angry, but Grassjade could detect the pain underlying his tone.

"Yes, for now!" she hissed. "This murder was carefully planned, Yellowstar. This is what the killer wants - for us to get stirred up and fight each other! Otherwise, they would have acted differently after… after disposing of Fawnbreeze." Yellowstar shook his head, still angry. "Yellowstar. You are my leader, and I will always follow you. But you have to understand the situation at hand right now. It's a very delicate matter, and I think it should be handled by me. Not you."

Yellowstar glared at Grassjade for a moment, but he knew she was right. Finally, with a lash of his tail, he turned away from the camp entrance. "Very well. If you know what is best, that is."

"I think I do," Grassjade said, humbly bowing her head. "Crowfire has some herbs for you. To help you relax."

"I don't need to relax," Yellowstar said sharply. "I just need some time for myself, to think. You go and do whatever it is you plan to do." He walked off, anger rolling off of him in waves. _He will neither forgive, nor forget what has happened to his son,_ Grassjade thought sadly.

She turned to see Poppyleaf standing behind her. "Thank you for helping him, Grassjade," the she-cat sighed. "I am afraid his sadness has turned into anger for ShadowClan. How could this have happened? My poor son, my only son…"

"Try to think of something else, Poppyleaf," Grassjade urged. "Why not join Tangleshadow and Jaggedstone? They're sunbathing on those rocks over there. I'm sure they would be glad to talk with you." With a nod, the she-cat numbly walked over to the two elders, who greeted her warmly and with sympathy.

_Our Clan is going to be torn apart by this death if we are not careful,_ Grassjade thought to herself. _How clever that killer must have been, to choose a cat whose death would have the biggest effect on ThunderClan._

"Grassjade!" Volepelt and Thornheart came running into camp, halting in front of her. "We heard a disturbance on the WindClan border," Volepelt panted.

"We were in the middle of our hunting patrol, but we decided to check it out. Three WindClan cats, and five foxes," Thornheart reported, more professionally.

Grassjade bristled in alarm. "Five? Where are they now? Did you leave the foxes there? What were you thinking?" She asked the questions in rapid-fire. Though there was no danger of kits being caught by the foxes at the moment, they still had elders and apprentices to think of.

"The WindClan cats must have gotten them over the border," Thornheart said. "When we got there, we could see the foxes chasing them. Fox scent was all over the border," he added with a curl of his lip.

"Alright, Thornheart, come with me and Pearlclaw. Volepelt, you come too, if you're not too out of breath. We should check where their den is and make sure they didn't run back into it." Grassjade spotted Pearlclaw from across the camp and waved her over with her tail. The she-cat padded over quickly as Grassjade led them out of camp. Volepelt filled her in on what happened as they headed towards the WindClan border.

"I wonder why WindClan distracted the foxes for us," Thornheart commented, walking beside Grassjade. "A little strange for them, isn't it? Perhaps they're trying to get on our good side, after… well, you know."

Grassjade held back a sigh. Thornheart hadn't even been at the Gathering; obviously, the gossip of Yellowstar's words had spread very quickly. _Too_ quickly. She worried cats in the Clan were taking sides on whether Yellowstar should lead. It didn't help Grassjade was now taking over most of his leader duties - though it wasn't as if he had been performing them as of late.

"This is it," Volepelt said from behind the deputy.

With a twitch of her whiskers, Grassjade replied, "Thank you, Volepelt, I do know where the WindClan border is." She sniffed the ground, which still smelled strongly of fox. It was hard to tell where the scent came from; they had moved quite a bit about the border, not leaving an obvious trail to their den.

"I see some tracks over here," Pearlclaw announced. Grassjade scrutinized them.

"If they keep on that way, it'll be straight towards the Moonpool," she mused. "Let's keep going until we reach the edge of our territory; if this den is in ThunderClan land, it needs to be destroyed."

**BREAK**

They had been walking for quite a while, sometimes losing the trail and having to double back. The foxes were careful, walking through thorn bushes, rubbing off their scent on trees to make it seem as if they moved off another direction. They hopped from rock to rock at times, and the only thing the warriors could go by when that happened was their faint scent on the stones. Needless to say, none of them would have minded if they lost the trail completely and could go back to camp.

But they didn't lose the trail. It lead straight up past the Moonpool. It was Volepelt who noticed first. "Hey, isn't that supposed to be the Moonpool?"

In a tired voice, Grassjade was ready to answer him as if he were a young apprentice, not a warrior. But she heard the sharp gasp of surprise from Pearlclaw and turned to see.

The Moonpool's entrance was closed by several boulders and heaps of dirt and sand. There was no way into StarClan's pool.


	8. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"_Rise and shine, Gorgepelt."_ A soft, shimmering voice wafted through the deputy's dream. The gray she-cat appeared in front of him, her long tail curling behind her as her large amber eyes blinked at him. "_Have you missed me?"_

The deputy awoke with a start, panting. He jerked to his paws, hurriedly stepping over several warriors as he burst out of the warriors' den, breathing heavily.

It had rained quite heavily the night before; the lake territory was still throwing off the cold fingers of leaf-bare, despite the fact that the thaw had come and gone. Large puddles covered the camp's ground. Gorgepelt caught a look of his reflection in one of these and quickly groomed himself, seeing his fur in disarray.

The memory of the gray she-cat haunted him in his sleep, especially at night, for that is when they always met, leading up to about six moons ago - or was it eight?

Worst about the she-cat's haunting was that Gorgepelt could never forget her. No, he couldn't do that very easily. After all, he saw her at every Gathering, her name lodged in his thoughts like a thorn.

_Clawstar._

Of course, she had been Clawspots back then, back when they were just warriors. But then things changed, quite suddenly. Gorgepelt was made deputy, and the former WindClan leader went on to StarClan, leaving the deputy, Clawspots, in charge.

The night after that happened was to be the next meeting for the two. They both managed to slip away, both overflowing with news of their promotions, neither knowing of the other's information. When they finally both told their tales in excitement, they realized what had happened. There was no more room for their love in their new lives. Gorgepelt had to work hard as a deputy, and Clawspots had to lead WindClan. They agreed to talk at the next Gathering.

When they did, they didn't talk. They argued - about everything. Things weren't the same. Bitterness had grown between them as their ranks had wedged between their relationship.

"I can't break the warrior code anymore," Clawstar had hissed. "I'm a leader now, so I have responsibilities to my Clan."

Gorgepelt had glared at her fiercly. "None of that mattered when you were _deputy_!" he snarled back. "I had a responsibility to you, but obviously, that doesn't matter much anymore."

"Then maybe we shouldn't talk to each other at all anymore! I know I won't miss you!"

"You can say the same for me," Gorgepelt had growled. They had turned, walked stiffly back to their Clans, and since then, had never spoken again.

Gorgepelt shook his head as if to clear his head of such memories, though he knew no such thing was possible. The only cat he had told this about was RiverClan's medicine cat, Featherpelt. The she-cat was his closest friend. They had grown up together, played together. She was the only one he could rely on - Whisperstar would never understand. And Gorgepelt didn't expect him to. Clawstar was a thing in the past, not his future. He would never betray his Clan again.

But the damage was done. Gorgepelt knew, if a battle ever came to pass between RiverClan and WindClan - and doubtlessly it would - he would be prejudiced, held back, unable to harm Clawstar - and she him.

"My, you're up early again!" Featherpelt brushed past her friend. "Instead of sitting around like old fuddy-duddies, let's take a walk in this beautiful night. I have to find some herbs that are best seen by moonlight, so why not join me if you can't sleep?"

Gorgepelt felt a rush of relief. "I'll do that," he said, following her. "I could use a nice walk by the riverbank."

Featherpelt didn't waste time with silence as she walked along leisurely. "You should tell me when you need a nice poppy seed for a full night's rest, Gorgepelt. You can't run on so little sleep for days on end. You need to tell me these things."

"I've told you everything," Gorgepelt sighed. "How can I get her out of my mind? I have tried everything."

"Everything?" Featherpelt's tone was innocent. She didn't look at the deputy as she walked along, studying a flower she passed by.

Gorgepelt knew what she meant. She felt (strongly) that he should talk with either Clawstar or Whisperstar. Apologize or confess, that was all that would set his heart and mind at ease. But neither were possible.

"I would be demoted if I told Whisperstar," Gorgepelt muttered.

Featherpelt gave the deputy a sharp look. "Are you that selfish? It will come out sooner or later. Save Whisperstar and the rest of the Clan harsher feelings of betrayal by admitting it yourself, instead of letting it be found out."

Gorgepelt opened his mouth, then shut it, shaking his head. Featherpelt caught the motion and glared.

"Don't shake your head when you know I am right!" she snapped. "For StarClan's sake, Gorgepelt. You aren't going to get over her, that much is obvious. And you certainly can't keep acting the way you are! Cats are bound to find out, if they haven't already."

Gorgepelt stared at her suddenly. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Featherpelt looked away, her steps a bit more stiff with her annoyance. "Hareleap is searching for a way to slip past your guard, Gorgepelt. The moment he finds out about this, you can kiss your rank goodbye. Hareleap will be deputy, and that will be the end of that."

_Hareleap? As deputy? _Gorgepelt curled his lip at the thought. "That isn't going to happen. Whisperstar wouldn't be stupid enough to choose _him._"

"Perhaps so, but what other choices does he have besides Hareleap? Stonestream hasn't had an apprentice, and Icefang would be the next choice if he weren't quite young and much too apt to enter a battle."

Gorgepelt flicked his ears, lashing his tail in annoyance at Featherpelt's accuracy. After ruling out Stonestream and Icefang, the choices went to younger and younger cats. There simply wasn't any other choices besides Hareleap, currently the only eligible senior warrior. "How many lives does Whisperstar have left?"

The look the medicine cat gave him was not kind. "Would you care to repeat that?" she asked, her tone cold. "Why would you _ever_ need to know that?"

"Don't be fish-brained!" Gorgepelt stared at her. "You think I would murder my leader? I want what is best for RiverClan, but I will not kill to make it so!"

Featherpelt gazed at him a long moment. As seconds passed by, hurt cut through the ginger tom's heart. Things had been so turned around in the past few moons, his friend from kithood was doubting his loyalty.

"Whisperstar was leader back before we were born," Featherpelt finally said. "How many lives do you think he has left?"

"Five?" The guess was generous, even for a careful leader who stayed in his den - things other than battles could take lives such as disease or drowning.

"None. He is on his last life."

The words sent a cold shiver through Gorgepelt. Of course, all cats had to die sometime, and Whisperstar was perhaps past his due. But the leader had been like a father to him since his birth. It was an honor when he was chosen to be his deputy. Never had he thought of actually taking over Whisperstar's position. Until now.

"Featherpelt, why are you looking for herbs so late?" Gorgepelt asked, his voice wavering. "You don't normally do this, do you? You're looking when no one will see you, so no one is worried." His voice began to rise in alarm. "Herbs for a disease, something you don't want anyone to know about so they won't panic -"

Featherpelt cut him off as his voice rose. "Calm yourself!" she hissed. "Do you want ThunderClan to hear you, for StarClan's sake? Sunspot has more than allergies. She has whitecough - not greencough, mind you! It's lucky we caught it so quickly. Since she is not near birthing, I don't think it will have an effect on her kits, as long as I get it cured quickly."

"This could spread," Gorgepelt said. "You know it can. Once it does, it will become greencough, then Whisperstar could catch it!"

"Oh, stop! Of course it could spread!" Featherpelt hissed. "I don't try to think up illusions for myself, Gorgepelt! But I trust in my abilities to heal Sunspot. It's hardly even worth mentioning, really! She's cooped up in the nursery all day anyways, with apprentices bringing her prey. It's not like she's exactly spreading her virus all over the territory, is she?" She rolled her eyes with an angry click of her tongue as Gorgepelt looked at her. "You're making me regret ever telling you about Whisperstar's last life. Next thing I know, you'll be molly-coddling him. If StarClan wishes to take him, then they will, Gorgepelt. Whisperstar is not young - have you thought he may just lose his last life from old age?"

Gorgepelt shook his head. "You don't understand, Featherpelt… I can't talk right now." He turned away, bounding off, ignoring the medicine cat's calls for him to return.

_If Whisperstar dies, I'll be…. Gorgestar. I'll have to be a leader, sitting up there with Clawstar. When we are both leaders, there will be no chance of us meeting as mates, ever again. When Whisperstar dies, my last chance with Clawstar does too…_

He sat, listening to a creek trickle nearby. Many scents rose to his nose; he was by a border. He didn't care to notice which one it was, until a soft, familiar voice spoke, this time not in his dreams.

"Gorgepelt?"

The deputy looked up, expecting Featherpelt but seeing the gray cat, as though she were a mirage, stepping out of his mind and into the air. "C-Clawstar?"

**Author's****Note:**


	9. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

By the time Grassjade and Thornheart returned from checking the Moonpool, it was well past sun-down. Volepelt was asleep, Pearlclaw keeping watch, though she could hardly keep her eyes open, staring into the dark by the light of the moon.

"Did it lead anywhere?" she asked hopefully as the two warriors returned. Grassjade shook her head.

"We had to go very slowly. The small crack we went through was ready to fill with rock and debris. We thought we would get through, but it was blocked off as well. It took us even longer to make our way back," Thornheart said. He nodded towards Volepelt. "Were you two okay out here?"

"Fine," the warrior nodded. "Let's not waste time talking. It'll take us awhile to get back to camp from here. I'll wake Volepelt."

**BREAK**

Pearlclaw was right. Their progress was slow, due to their tired limbs. Grassjade and Thornheart looked deeply scratched in some areas, though they didn't offer any tales of what had happened.

Finally, they smelled the WindClan border. "About time," Thornheart muttered. Volepelt yawned sleepily. It would be dawn soon. All four of the warriors were dead tired, fighting to stay awake as they walked.

Grassjade suddenly pricked her ears. "Do any of you hear that?" Pearlclaw and Volepelt shrugged tiredly, but Thornheart nodded. She listened harder. It was the sound of heated arguing, and opening her mouth slightly to scent the air, she picked up WindClan and ThunderClan scents. "Come on!" she said, leaping forward as another scent entered her nose: blood.

They came through the trees, into the small clearing by the WindClan border. There were four cats on each side of the border, fur raised and backs arched with fangs showing. Yellowstar led the ThunderClan patrol with Dawnflower, Regalblaze, and Whitepaw. Hazelbush, Shroudfang, Ripclaw, and Silverwhisker were on the other side of the border. Grassjade noted, with worry, that several wounds had been inflicted on both parties.

"You killed four of my warriors!" Yellowstar snarled. "We tracked their scents coming near this border. You obviously ambushed them."

"We did no such thing," Hazelbush spat back. "All of our warriors were accounted for!"

"Except for Clawstar, as it seems," the ThunderClan leader growled, curling his lip. "I'll rip your throat out for this murder, you fox-hearted piece of dung!"

Grassjade was ready to stop the fight when, to her surprise and relief, Thornheart stepped forward. "We are here, Yellowstar." His voice was deep and calm, as if unperturbed by the scene. "There is nothing to worry about." Grassjade then understood why he was so calm; he was soothing Yellowstar, calming him so he would not attack the WindClan cats.

Confusion rippled through Yellowstar's eyes. "But - how?" His eyes fell on the wounds caused by the tunnel that Grassjade and Thornheart went through. The confusion changed to anger in an instant as he whipped back to the WindClan patrol. "You kept them prisoner?" he snarled. "You really are low-life beings."

"Wait!" Grassjade tried to stop her leader, but it was too late. He, with the rest of the ThunderClan patrol, leaped forward over the border, attacking the WindClan cats.

His claws, unsheathed and extended, dug into Hazelbush's shoulders as he flipped the tom over while still in mid-air so that he landed on top of him. He raked a hind claw down the deputy's belly, pinning him down with his front paws.

Whitepaw fought with Regalblaze, his mentor, taking on Ripclaw and Silverwhisker as Dawnflower attacked Shroudfang, her teeth bared as she tackled him to the ground.

Grassjade ran forward, telling the others to stay where they were. Thornheart, however, stayed with her, one glance of his amber eyes telling Grassjade he was not one to stay put in a battle.

Thornheart went for Dawnflower, taking her by the scruff and yanking her backwards, away from where she had pinned Shroudfang as she was about to claw his face. Grassjade knew she could not lift Yellowstar herself, so instead caught her claws in his scruff and used all of her weight to pull him back. With a hiss he fell backward, away from the WindClan deputy.

Regalblaze quickly backed Whitepaw away as he saw what was happening. The WindClan cats slowly stood as the ThunderClan patrol backed up onto their territory once more.

"Hazelbush, I am very sorry -" Grassjade began, but she didn't get any farther than that.

"Shut your jaws!" he snarled. "I was not prepared to judge ThunderClan, as I felt for their loss. But this is the final straw! No sweet words by you will heal this matter." He turned his eyes to Yellowstar, baring his teeth. "And congratulations to _you, Yellowstar! _You have successfully made WindClan your enemy." With a lash of his tail, he growled, "Now get out of here! Away from our territory."

Grassjade quickly moved the patrol off, helping Yellowstar walk. All the cats walking out of the battle were injured, even Grassjade and Thornheart when they broke it up. "We had them!" Yellowstar snarled. "Why did you do that?"

"Why did you go against your word? I thought we agreed I would take care of these matters!" Grassjade hissed the words, not wanting the others to overhear. However Yellowstar didn't seem to care who heard them.

"After you went missing I had to do something other than sit around and wait. Where were you, anyway? ThunderClan needed you." His tone was angry and with a hint of disappointment in it.

"ThunderClan needed me?" Grassjade spat the words out, her frustration and worry bubbling over. "For what? A pointless attack on the border?" She flicked her ears, her tail whipping behind her. "It should interest you to know that I, and my patrol, found out that the Moonpool-"

"For StarClan's sake, what were you doing out there?" Yellowstar growled.

"Not for StarClan's sake, but ThunderClan's," Grassjade said, annoyed he had cut her off. "We were tracking some foxes. We found that the Moonpool -"

"I'll be going there tonight. I'll find out when I get there."

"Oh you will, will you? Well, here's a nice tip of information for you," Grassjade hissed, losing all patience. "The Moonpool can't be reached. There was some sort of avalanche and the way is blocked off."

Yellowstar gazed at her for a moment, then looked away. "I must discuss this with Crowfire. This is very bad news."

"We should spread the word and get help from WindClan to start moving away the rocks," Grassjade urged.

The ThunderClan leader shook his head, dismissing her. "No, no. There's no need. StarClan will make a way possible for us. They wouldn't let this happen."

"Exactly, Yellowstar. They wouldn't. There have been horrible storms and earthquakes before, yet the Moonpool entrance has held steady. I fear that not only rocks are to keep us from StarClan." Grassjade met Yellowstar's surprised eyes. She had calmed herself; anger was not the way to penetrate Yellowstar's stubbornness, nor his grief.

"I'll discuss it with Crowfire," he repeated slowly. "But I will not lift a paw towards the WindClan's camp for help." Glancing at his deputy he added sharply, "and you'll have to walk over my dead body if you think you can walk a patrol out of here and do it yourself."

"Very well, Yellowstar." They fell into silence as they entered camp, heading for the medicine den.

**Author's Note: **So, not a lot here. But don't worry, I plan for quite a bit of fun in the next few chapters. There is a poll up about what should happen next between ThunderClan and WindClan. You can vote on it via my profile, so that's easy. As always, leave a review! Bai.


	10. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Cedarspot stalked along through the woods silently, navigating through the dark, haunting trees without hesitation. The fact was, she had been here before, quite often. Though now she lived in this forest permanently, she used to have her paws in this world and another.

"There you are." A soft purr greeted her. A creamy tom with black paws, tail, and ears padded up to her. "I've been waiting for you awhile now. What kept you?"

"I always take my time walking through these woods, Ferrettail." She didn't pause as she brushed past the tom. "But come, we are late. It wouldn't be very good to keep the others waiting, would it?"

They trotted along, dodging twisted thorns and black tree roots ruptured out of the ground until they entered a clearing, one of the few places in the woods where the red-tinted moon shone through clearly.

A good hundred cats were gathered about. Most Cedarspot knew, others were strangers. She sat with the crowd, in a half-circle around the edges of the clearing. Ferrettail sat beside her.

The cats waited in silence, gazing at the spot where their leader stood. Cedarspot turned to the cats beside her, on her left. "Lostnose, Snakejaw, how good to see you," she said warmly with a smile. Snakejaw was a particular friend of hers; they had known each other back in the… other world. Lostnose, on the other hand, had been a more recent friend.

Lostnose dipped her head cordially to Cedarspot, but Snakejaw looked distracted. "Rubblefur is still missing," Lostnose said to Cedarspot, tipping her head towards Snakejaw. "He grows more worried with each passing day."

Cedarspot gazed at Snakejaw sympathetically. "I'm sure he will return soon. Your brother is a fine warrior. No doubt he just wanted some time to himself."

"It's not that," Snakejaw said, annoyed. "I know he can take care of himself. But when he returns…" He glanced towards where the tom stood, apart from the rest of the group, the obvious leader. "If Rubblefur has any brains, he will not return to these woods."

"You would wish him stuck in limbo, not in these woods and not in any other?" Lostnose shook her head. "Rubblefur will return. There is nothing we can do about it."

"What has changed since my last time here?" Cedarspot asked. "I see a different cat has stepped up to lead now. Who is he and who does he think he is? Has he really defeated -"

"Do not say her name!" Ferrettail hissed. "He has killed anyone who speaks of former leaders at meetings. This new leader does not take kindly to those who are not loyal to him."

Cedarspot flicked an ear crossly, ignoring the tom and turning back to Lostnose and Snakejaw. "But what is his name?"

A deep voice spoke from the center of the circle, silky and yet rough, cold and unfriendly. "My name," he said, "is Malice." He padded forward, his black fur reflecting the moon. He purposely twisted his paw so the light gleamed off his unnaturally long, curved claws. "I am the son of Scourge, who would have destroyed your Clans had the former kittypet scum Firestar not killed him first."

"May I point out that we now know Scourge, too, was a kittypet?" Cedarspot stood, shaking off Ferrettail's warnings. "Who are you to try and replace our leader? You are nothing but a petty rogue!"

"A petty rogue?" Malice's voice, though it was not raised, rang out above all the murmurs of the crowd. "Is that what you think I am?" He sneered. "I probably know more about your Clans than you do, Cedarspot." He flicked his tail, turning away and beginning to pace around the clearing. Each cat he passed bowed their head in submission, not making eye contact with the tom. "For example, I know that a _mysterious_ force has killed a ThunderClan cat." He glanced at Cedarspot. "That was your Clan, wasn't it?" She didn't answer, nor did he give her time to as he continued. "And a harsh fox attack could have gone horribly wrong had the WindClan warriors not fought bravely. A pity, that."

Ferrettail's eyes snapped up to Malice as he mentioned WindClan, though luckily the tom didn't see.

"And I also know that several tragic events will take place in RiverClan and ShadowClan soon." Lostnose and Snakejaw glanced up, then at each other at these words but stayed silent.

Malice turned to face Cedarspot, stopping his pacing. "Have I surprised you yet?"

"_You_ did those things?" Cedarspot asked. "You killed an innocent young tom from ThunderClan and began all this?"

"Oh please," Malice snarled. "Are you in the wrong forest? This isn't StarClan, sweetie. Maybe you should run home to your mother before things get too scary. Of course I killed him. And unless all of you are ready to aid me in destroying the Clans once and for all, these woods will be made into a bloodbath tonight."

There was a long, frightened silence. "How will you defeat them?" A cat asked. "It didn't work for Scourge, so how will it work for you?" Other cats nodded their agreement.

"This time, they won't join up with each other," Malice replied. "This time, they'll be our pawns, and we'll just sit back and watch. Once they have weakened themselves sufficiently, we will strike. Now, then." He motioned to a cat to come closer. Hesitantly, the warrior did so. Malice whispered something into his ear. The cat nodded, picked up a stick, and began to draw a horizontal line across the clearing. After that, he drew a vertical line intersecting over the horizontal line, separating the clearing into four parts.

"ThunderClan cats, in the upper left corner. RiverClan cats, in the upper right. WindClan in lower left, ShadowClan in lower right. Anyone who wishes to back out, I'll be glad to sharpen my claws on your throats." Malice directed the cats coldly, uncaringly. He was all business.

Cedarspot murmured some quick words of comfort to Snakejaw and Lostnose, then padded over to the designated area for ThunderClan cats. She may not have liked Malice, but she wasn't stupid enough to throw her life away. She had a feeling the tom wasn't bluffing.

After all the cats crowded into their spaces, Malice nodded, sitting in the center where the lines intersected. "Very good." He turned to the ThunderClan section. "You will be the first legion. Sandystar, isn't it? You will lead the ThunderClan cats." He turned to the RiverClan section, then the WindClan, then ShadowClan's. "Second legion, led by Pikestar. Third legion, Runningstar, fourth legion, Witheredstar." He nodded to himself again, then flicked his ears to the leaders of each section who had stepped forward. "I do not want this many cats," he announced. "Leaders, this is your first chance to prove your very small worth to me. Choose six cats who will fight well, then kill the rest. I want a small fighting force, nothing more."

With that, he walked away, leaving the four legions to begin the bloodbath promised.


	11. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Hazelbush watched the camp's business with frustration. He was too injured to go on patrol, Growlpool told him, as he could break open the wound again. He shouldn't have been on the patrol with Shroudfang and the others to the ThunderClan border, but he had sneaked out of camp, believing it would just be a quick trip. Of course, it wasn't, and he had more wounds to show for it.

"Honestly, Hazelbush, next time I'll let you kill yourself. First you get tangled up with five foxes to save ThunderClan, second you attack ThunderClan over a small dispute," Growlpool had grumbled.

_Small dispute. I wish it was. _Hazelbush thought over the past events. How could things have escalated so quickly? Yellowstar, once a respected, honored leader of ThunderClan was the most hated cat in the forest. _He deserves to be hated, _Hazelbush thought angrily to himself. _His grief has pushed him too far. Now he is accusing WindClan? He has no proof of such a thing, no basis for his accusations!_

Hazelbush had spoken harsh, angry words at the border, dangerous words. But he did not regret them. If words would not teach ThunderClan its place, then claws would.

His sharp eyes spotted Clawstar finally entering the camp. She had been missing all morning. Her eyes saw Growlpool still tending to the other members of the patrol. They finally rested on her deputy, who she made towards quickly. "What happened?" she asked.

Hazelbush narrowed his eyes as he caught the scent on her. She smelled of wet moss and reeds, as if she had been rolling on a riverbank. There were very few places like that near WindClan's territory. One of them was at RiverClan's border.

"ThunderClan," Hazelbush said simply. Clawstar tilted her head, waiting for more information. He didn't offer anymore. Flicking his tail, he said, "I'll explain later, or Fogpelt will tell you. Elders always keep up with the newest gossip. The important question is, what happened to _you_?"

"Me?" Clawstar blinked, apparently not surprised by the question. "I went off for an early hunt and stayed out longer than expected, that is all."

"You obviously weren't near the ThunderClan border."

"That is true, I was not near the ThunderClan borderline." Clawstar's tone was light, not revealing anything. She seemed unconcerned with the conversation. The lack of caring in her words made Hazelbush suspicious. The Clawstar he knew would not tolerate questions of her whereabouts; she expected her warriors to trust her decision, and that was that. So why was she so ready to share information?

"Did you end up catching anything?" Hazelbush asked.

Clawstar looked about the camp, flicking an ear. "No, I decided to take a stroll instead of chasing after rabbits."

"That's too bad." Hazelbush shifted his position, wincing as his wounds caused him some pain at the movement. "We could use some more prey on the kill pile. I just sent out a hunting patrol, as we were a bit… delayed at the ThunderClan border."

"I would have brought something if I'd known that. But I wanted to get out, for fresh air. I stay in camp most of the day, taking care of a leader's duties. That is not very entertaining, I must say."

"I can imagine. The RiverClan border would be much more interesting, I'll bet," Hazelbush said casually, bringing up his paw to lick and drag over an ear, despite the twinge it caused in his flank and shoulders.

Clawstar turned her ears to her deputy. "All right, that's enough. What is the matter with you? You've been stiff since I walked up to you. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Funny," Hazelbush said, narrowing his eyes as he faced his leader. "I was about to say the same exact words to you, Clawstar. Since when do you stay out for hours, neglecting your duties without telling anyone where you are going? I asked Furyclaw, who was guarding the camp last night. He said he didn't see you leave at all."

"I prefer to leave unnoticed," Clawstar sniffed. "Camp guards always ask me many questions, and by then I've missed half of the walk I could have made."

"Since when do you break your own rules?" Hazelbush growled. "You're acting strangely, Clawstar. Very strangely."

"Is it any of your business, how I act?" Clawstar replied, her brow drawing close as she glared at Hazelbush. She held his gaze, then turned away, leaping up on a rise in the corner of the camp, sitting and wrapping her tail around her paws. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around to hear what I have to say!" she yowled.

The WindClan cats emerged from their dens, padding over and sitting before Clawstar. Hazelbush sat in the back of the crowd, away from his usual spot close to his leader. Two cats were missing for the hunting patrol, but otherwise, all of WindClan was gathered. Even Fogpelt came away from his den of comfort to sit.

"Today, I have good and bad news." Clawstar gazed down at her Clan. "There was an attack on the ThunderClan border, as Hazelbush tells me. I will discuss with Growlpool, Shroudfang, and Hazelbush on the best plan of action. The three of you, meet me in my den at sun-down."

Growlpool settled beside Hazelbush. "So the great leader has returned, has she?" he muttered gruffly, twitching an ear. "I wonder where she was." Hazelbush could tell by his tone that Growlpool had no doubt. Like all WindClan cats, Growlpool had a very keen eye and nose. No doubt he'd picked up on the scent and bits of reed on Clawstar's pelt.

"Leafkit, Leapkit, step forward." To Hazelbush's and the kit's surprise, Clawstar called them. Yellowbark, frantic to ready her kits quickly, licked down their fur and removed several burrs from Leafkit's fur. The kits struggled free of their mother, bouncing forward and gazing up at Clawstar.

"Excuse me," Hazelbush said, stepping away from Growlpool quickly, who nodded. He trotted over to his mate, who sat in the front of the crowd, touching his nose to her ear.

"Did Clawstar tell you about this?" Yellowbark whispered, looking both excited, worried, and angry. "You should have told me! They look like rogues - oh, look at that tangle in Leapkit's fur!"

"I didn't know," Hazelbush said grimly. He hardly listened as Clawstar spoke to the kits. Anger built up inside him. They were _his_ kits. Why didn't Clawstar tell him she was having their ceremony today? _Is her mind too full of the reeds from the river she visited all morning?_

"Leafkit, from now on until you reach your warrior name, you will be Leafpaw. Your mentor will be Largetooth, a warrior who has proved his loyalty many times over." Clawstar smiled down at the awed kit, who turned to his new mentor, Largetooth. The white warrior, normally grumpy, couldn't help but smile as well as the new apprentice practically jumped up to touch noses. They settled back into the crowd.

"Leapkit, do you promise to uphold the warrior code in all of your actions, to work as hard as possible in your apprenticeship?" Clawstar asked, turning to the she-cat waiting her turn anxiously.

"I do!" Leapkit said, her voice strong and clear.

"Then you will be named Leappaw from now until you receive your… medicine cat name." Clawstar looked to Growlpool. Hazelbush looked over his shoulder in alarm, seeing the medicine cat move forward. "Growlpool has accepted Leappaw as his apprentice." Leappaw excitedly touched noses with the large tom, smiling.

Hazelbush felt ready to jump up and tear Clawstar's pelt when Yellowbark laid a tail on his tense shoulders. "Not now," she whispered, glancing at their excited kits, now apprentices. "Don't ruin this experience for them. They want us to be proud of them, not angry."

Hazelbush nodded stiffly, calling out the names of the new apprentices with the other members of the Clan. But the whole time he just glared at Clawstar, fury building up slowly as he watched Leappaw hurry off with Growlpool. _She should be a warrior._


	12. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Blissfur could hardly keep her eyes open. She had been up half of the night, worrying over what could and might happen if Yellowstar held his accusation.

She was sitting in a small clearing, the one nearest camp, watching Robinflight and Treepelt train their apprentices, Clapperpaw and Firepaw.

Robinflight stepped away, keeping an eye on the two toms as they fought, with sheathed claws. "You look tired," she commented.

Blissfur nodded with a sigh. "The Gathering."

"Again? You really need to stop going over it. Sure, all the Clans jump to ShadowClan instantly whenever something bad happens, but one night's worth of words isn't going to cause a war."

"You're probably right. But the slight chance it could worries me." Blissfur twitched her tail-tip. "That's my duty, as deputy. Whatever Brackenstar brushes off, I pick up and lose sleep over it."

"That's your own fault." Robinflight paused to call a few tips to the apprentices, then turned back to Blissfur. "Now, I'm not saying you're a mouse-brain. Everyone respects you, but you do have quite the reputation as a worrier."

Blissfur pinned her ears crossly. "ShadowClan should give more thought about what to worry and what not to worry about," she muttered. "Perhaps I am a bit serious now and then, but at least I give thought to these things."

"Yes, that's a rare virtue these days." Robinflight gazed at the two apprentices and Treepelt, who was making sure no one was injured. "You know, we have nothing to worry about. At the moment, ShadowClan is the largest Clan. We have two large litters of kits, a moon or two away from apprenticeship, and two apprentices who are quite close to their assessments."

"Kits and young warriors cannot fight wars, Robinflight." Blissfur sighed. "My mentor never even let me join a battle until I was well into apprenticeship. And then, it was with four other warriors against one badger."

"Oh, I can't listen to you anymore!" Robinflight twitched her whiskers, amused. "I'll head back with Treepelt and the apprentices and leave you to worry."

**BREAK**

"Blissfur seemed more stressed than usual," Treepelt commented as they walked through the forest back to camp.

"I suppose." Robinflight kept an eye on the apprentices as she spoke. "The Gathering has ruffled everyone's fur."

"Yes, it's the talk of the elders _and_ the queens," Treepelt joked with a smile. "But Blissfur knows better than to worry over ThunderClan, doesn't she? ShadowClan can receive and turn away any threat that is given to us."

"I don't know. To me, it sounded as if Blissfur is losing faith in her own Clan." Robinflight flicked an ear towards the hollow they had exited, checking to see if Blissfur was in hearing range before lowering her voice and continuing. "Personally, I think it's time she stepped down. For a while, we were prepared to let things work out, but her time as a deputy is over. Brackenstar needs to choose a new second-in-command. Can you imagine having Blissfur as _leader_?"

"For one thing, her name would be quite hard to understand," Treepelt laughed.

Robinflight glared at him. "I should have known better. You can't take anything seriously, can you?" The two warriors laughed and continued on their way after the two apprentices.

Blissfur pinned her ears. She had been following after the two warriors, prepared to let her presence known - until they had started talking about her. _Everyone thinks I'm being paranoid, _she thought. _Am I? Brackenstar is the leader, not me. He won't put ShadowClan in a position we can't get out of. _

Anyway, it was time to change her tune. No doubt Robinflight wasn't the only cat in ShadowClan who thought she shouldn't be deputy. The competition for her rank was great. No one would mourn if she was demoted to a warrior's rank.

Turning away from the path to camp, Blissfur headed off into the undergrowth. _I'll hunt for a bit. That will get my mind off things, _she told herself.

Opening her mouth slightly, scents, stale and fresh, entered. Frogs, lizards, many types of prey. Padding along, she sniffed about for something bigger, something worth chasing after.

Then something entered her nose. Something certainly big, but not prey. Badger. _How did a badger get so deep in our territory so easily? No, it's impossible. It couldn't have! We just sent out a border patrol, they would have found it. I must have made a mistake. _

She crept closer towards the scent. Yes, a mistake. It was just prey, perhaps prey that had had a close encounter with a badger, or had run near a badger set off of ShadowClan territory. But as she moved out from behind a thorn bush, she saw all the evidence she needed.

There was the badger, its fur a dirty white color with jet-black stripes running down its length. It was quite large for its age, which Blissfur guessed to be young, seeing as his claws were not fully grown yet. But Blissfur smelled no sign of a mother or any other badger nearby. Had this one wandered off so far from its set, somehow slipping past the borders?

Blissfur's paw came down on a loose rock. It tumbled free of the dirt, sending her stumbling forward into the badger's eyesight. The badger swung to meet her, eyes glinting in surprise.

As she regained her paws, the badger lunged for her, its huge paws slamming into her shoulders. She was pinned to the ground as it stood over her, teeth bared. It raised a paw, and before the deputy could move, plunged his claws into her throat, raking them down her belly.

The badger watched as the ShadowClan warrior twitched, the life slowly draining from her. It was about to turn tail and run when a shadow flitted out behind it. It turned, slow mind working slowly, thinking it was another cat.

The shadow came up from behind the badger, slicing its throat cleanly. The badger slowly fell to his side, beside Blissfur, dead before it fell.

Blissfur closed her eyes, slipping away from the scene.

**Note: **Sorry I didn't post yesterday, I've been a bit busy. :3 By the way, I do accept ideas for warrior names. There are a few apprentices who might be made warriors later in this book or early in the next, so I'd like some ideas! Just PM or leave a review. Thanks!


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